Adapting a manga series into an anime seems like a simple enough task on paper. Not only has the story been laid out, but all the camera angles, dialogue, character designs and so much more are already there. Many shots are even redone frame-for-frame for this exact reason. Despite the apparent conveniences of adapting a manga, changes have to be made; they're often necessary to make the work more suitable for its new medium. Season 5 of My Hero Academia is a good example of an anime adaption that takes many creative liberties.
MHA is a good story, but there are differing opinions on how to tell it. Between how Horikoshi wrote the manga and how Bones Inc. adapted it, there are several details and events that have been altered, mixed around, or omitted entirely. Here's a look at some of MHA Season 5's biggest changes to the source material.
The First Episode of the Season is Exclusive to the Anime
As with every season after the first, MHA starts with a filler episode. It featured Class 1-A going through a rescue exercise; they must save civilians, fight villains and prevent collateral damage. It is virtually inconsequential to the overarching story.
This episode served the same purpose as the other first episodes since Season 2. Rather than progress the plot, it's used to showcase the main cast and their Quirks. This serves to introduce newcomers to the main cast while providing a refresher to those who haven't seen a new episode in about a year. It gets everybody acquainted and reacquainted with the ones they're supposed to be rooting for. A filler like this is considered unnecessary by many fans. Not only is it the umpteenth of its kind, but the upcoming "Joint Training" arc accomplished the same thing with important, canon developments. Viewers can skip this episode without missing out on anything.
The Removed Fingers Were Removed
Japan is sensitive about amputation, especially when it comes to fingers. It's a reminder of the practices of the Yakuza, who often remove fingers for either punishment or atonement. Thus, the removal of both Shigaraki's and Giran's fingers has been toned down for the anime adaption. In both series, Giran has his fingers removed by the Meta Liberation Army and they are positioned at various locations in the shape of the group's hand gesture. In the manga, these fingers are on full display both in a news broadcast and when Re-Destro performed the hand gesture. The anime kept the fingers out of the former moment, but they do keep the latter, albeit as a whited-out silhouette. In the manga, Re-Destro crushed all but two fingers on Shigaraki's left hand. In the anime, his fingers are intact, though he still wears something similar to his prosthetics from the manga.
The "Meta Liberation Army" Arc Was Trimmed Down Significantly
Because of how Season 5 is paced, there’s tragically little time to spend on the “Meta Liberation Army” Arc. The studio left themselves five or six episodes to cover 22 chapters worth of content. That means they had to adapt more than three-and-a-half chapters per episode in order to cover everything. This would already be pushing things, but Bones ended up trying to compact somewhere between four and six chapters into each episode. For how loaded this arc is with information, trying to cram so much into six episodes is far too ambitious.
As a result of the anime’s pacing, a lot of content from the manga was cut. Besides the CRC and Spinner’s perspective, there are several moments that seem unnecessary to the overarching plot but are crucial for establishing tone and understanding character motivations, yet they're omitted. This trimming makes an otherwise-brilliant arc come off as ill-conceived and rushed.
The Creature Rejection Clan is Nowhere to be Found
The CRC was removed entirely from the anime. In the manga, they're a cult that commits violent acts against those with Mutant-type or Heteromorphic Quirks. Their ideals were largely outdated, which is part of why they're hardly mentioned. In Chapter 220 of the manga, "My Villain Academia," the League of Villains has a confrontation with them when they come to steal their stuff; due to their past failures and lost connections they're short on money and resources, so they resort to petty theft. The CRC just happens to be one of their victims.
It's sad that this scene was removed. Besides providing some interesting worldbuilding, it helped establish the motivations of the League for the "Meta Liberation Army" Arc. This arc was supposed to be about their rise to power, which makes their squalor important for framing their struggle. Without their confrontation with the CRC, this scene can't happen.
The Arcs Are Told Out of Order
Perhaps the biggest alteration of the anime is the order in which it tells certain events. In the manga, the Christmas episode and Deku's time at the Endeavor Agency were all presented after the "My Villain Academia" Arc. With this, the pacing of the story is completely changed.
As big as this alteration was, it made sense. Where the manga releases chapters continuously on a weekly basis, the anime only gets to release 12-25 new episodes every year. In order to keep viewers wanting to see more, they have to be sure that the last episode(s) will leave fans guessing. The "Endeavor Agency" Arc doesn't have any big hooks like this, but the "My Villain Academia" Arc does. The idea of the League getting a major boost to their Quirks and their ranks is enough to leave any viewers biting their nails. It also leads better into the next arc.
